[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz6qKsWVA7U[/youtube]
I train a high school Football Player / Wrestler who broke his hand / wrist in 8th grade. Now, he's a sophomore and strong as hell (naturally :).
After his hand and wrist were fixed via surgery, it wasn't quite fixed. Ironic, right?
Benching and holding horizontal weights in the hands is tough, the wrist deviates big time & causes pain no matter how strong we work the hands, wrist, grip, etc. Neutral grip barbells and dumbbells feel somewhat better and stronger.
But, when it comes to snatching a 80 lb Kettlebell, flipping a 450 lb tire, farmer walks 185 lbs each hand, dragging sleds.....
He's an ass kicker.
Clean and press double 70s, BOOM. Legit, powerful and explosive.
The question arises about the bench press... naturally, as a high school Football player, this will happen.
Your Football Coach says ya gotta do it, even if it means your hand will break at the wrist, or the bar comes down crooked, or it forces one side to work harder than the other & destroys your shoulders.....
Your buddies say, "Ya gotta bench, dude."
What do I say about the bench press for athletes?
Who Cares.
I am more impressed and confident with the athlete who can snatch an 80 and 88 lb kettlebell at a bodyweight of 175 lbs, farmer walk more than his own bodyweight in each hand, deadlift more than 2 x bodyweight and can run fast as hell coupled with mental toughness.
The ability to climb rope, rip through 450 and 600 lb tire flips, drag, push and pull sleds at high intensity.... this is where it counts. The mind and body must dig deep to stay strong and remain explosive.
It reminds me of the old training footage Dr. Ken was using to train Football players, although not pretty and the form was quite wild, these guys were prepared for WAR on the field, you could see it....
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvyr56XGHrQ[/youtube]
I have had many big benchers walk through these doors who couldn't make it through The Underground warm up... Football is a sport of battle. The ability to bench heavy isn't what counts, it's ALL about the performance on the field.
Having strong and explosive horizontal pushing power is critical in Football but we achieve this through movements aside from the bench press.
- med ball throws
- neutral grip push ups on rings / dumbbells with added weight (chains or vests)
- explosive push ups
The list goes on and on. The bottom line is we wanna help athletes and tactical men / ladies be prepared for battle in the physical AND mental sense.
The bench press doesn't matter too much.....
What are your thoughts? Drop a comment and let us know.
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38 Responses
I think that athletes can get stronger in the bench without even doing it. Weighted explosive push ups are much better.
If the sport is powerlifting, bench pressing matters. Other than that, I think it’s an overrated upper body exercise, but still has it’s place in training.
OHP, push press (“The push press has more carryover to pressing in general – bench press etc. – than any other upper body exercise” – Pendlay), and even incline bench press (I remember reading Poliquin prefers these over flat bench) probably has more carry over to sports like football.
The Bench Press suffers from Nickelback syndrome, where its fans make it seem so much worse then it is.
I think the problem with the bench press is the guys who bench big, thats all they do. They’re turned themselves into bench pressing machines, but they’d be damned to do a deadlift or a dead hang pull-up.
I think it has a place and its effectiveness as a strength training workout gets lost amidst a sea of bros all vying to “bench 300lbs” My only issue with it is when some dude is benching for an hour and locking up the barbell I could be using to do RDLs
Chef, solid points. Bench heavy but can you do plyo push ups, pull ups, and all around move your body?
We use the bench press but NOT until we have stability and a strength foundation built.
It’s not high on our list of priority exercises
That real world strength video is probably my favorite of yours Zach.
ha ha, thnx, Rich, gotta love the old school Dr Ken footage!
The bench is definitely an effective pressing strength builder, but considering the stress it can place on the shoulder, other means should be used more frequently for non powerlifting athletes.
The question for athletes should be what improves the strength and joint integrity of the upper body pressing muscles with limited injury chances.
OHP and pushup variations allow for a much more natural function of the shoulder.
Benching heavy weights is definitely a great source to satisfy the ego, but it really doesn’t matter. Athletes should be able to bench heavy but in my opinion, I would rather master my push ups variations, parallel bar dips and pull ups.
Exactly bro. I do the bench because I love doing it, thats the only reason why, and to build mental toughness. Your second video on here was the first one I ever saw, it was so fresh and I was hooked!
Zach I couldn’t agree more with on the value of the bench press. I don’t see it as a make or break movement.
Coaches today are focused to much on static movements for warm ups and workouts.
Btw, this is my first post. U da man keep rockin.
yo bro, psyched you dropped a comment, thnx for the feedback
I commend you for writing this Zach. The bench is like all exercises. It has it’s place but it’s not magic. It is great for some thing, mediocre at others and worthless for other goals.
It’s high time someone questioned it and put the spot light on other exercises that may be more important.
Takes guts, but you’ve always had that.
Matt, thnx, brutha, lots of angry peeps regarding the bench press, of course, they are the one’s who didn’t read the article fully and take time to think about what I said.
As they can see from the video, we’ve got guys benching here, and damn heavy at that…. but we are strong as hell in other areas that count way more in sport.
Thnx, Brutha!
I think there are two questions there: first, if benching is the best alternative for this specific athlete in his routine. Second, if benching is important in a strength program for football athletes in general.
The answer to the first question is probably no if benching creates extra stress and injury vulnerability.
But the answer to the second is different. Any athlete needs to be good at his specific gestures, but also needs to be good with the basic movement alphabet: he needs to squat, push and pull. The bench press is one of the most effective exercises addressing PUSHING.
It’s not a magic bullet, but in revising its importance let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
I trained a quarterback that had to get his bench up in just over two months, and we cranked push ups everytime we met. He could bench 205# for 2 or 3 reps when he left school, and when he went back cranked 225# for 3. Pushup-PUshup-Pushup!
I noticed his 205# bench looked great, but once he hit 6 push ups he was struggling. By the end he was cranking push ups, and benching more weight. The only benching was partial/ timed with 230#.
When I sold training equipment I did a coaches clinic for football. I had bumper plates and squat rack set up. A coach came up and said, “Bench and arm curls is all my players need. They work their legs during practice.” I asked, “What was your record last year?” “6 and 5” “I think they need to squat.” He just walked away. It is hard to break through to many of those coaches. Head strong ego!
No sense in trying to change them. Train athletes your way, and they will come!
Great post! Ya, bench pressing is overrated because of all the emphasis that’s been put on it and guys seem to need a big bench to satisfy their ego. I loved your comment from one of your videos, “You need to eat your pushups for breakfast”. So many other ways to add upper body strength, and you’re exactly right…you need to transfer it over to the real world.
Of course you’re confused…. pls. rd. carefully
I didn’t say… “we don’t bench” or “you shouldn’t bench”
I spoke of what is MORE important, spoke of OTHER ways we build strength…. does that mean we don’t bench or did I say we don’t bench?
Nope…..
No need to be confused, I was straight to the point.
Yes,I say benching matters.If you could flip a 450lb tire, but couldnt bench a measly 300lbs,thats sad.I would say work on your bench and fast you weakling.
I don’t think being unable to bench “a measley 300 lbs” is sad. To see guys able to bench over 300 is not that common…. in a t shirt….
I know plenty of guys who can’t bench 300 lbs….. but if you needed these guys at your side during a fight or when the shit hits the fan, I’d take these guys in a heat beat….
One of them was a Navy SEAL, btw, so I wouldn’t necessarily call him a weakling….
But hey, if dropping ridiculous comments makes you happy so be it
I just started benching, only because I suck at it so bad. I am decent at the other Powerlifts and Olympic lifts. Can do weighted pullups and dips like a champ. When it comes to pressing, bench or overhead I suck. Reguardless of how effective the bench press is for training it is a good test of strength and one that I fail.
Rip I’m w/ya brutha, bring that bench up… a weak bench doesn’t help you…. if you’re in a position where a big bench is needed, get it UP there
I LIKE the way Westside guys do it b/c they use tons of other movements to bring the bench up, making them strong in other areas:
– all types of push ups
– heavy rowing and chins
– dumbbell benching
– arm work
– direct shoulder work, etc.
get after it, brutha
The bench press has always been the supposed measuring stick of how strong a person is. The uninformed always ask”How much do you bench”, I reply “anything you put in front of me”. I was obsessed with the lift until I hit 400lbs then my joints revolted. It is a great mass builder but not the only way to build great chest strength. The nfl still considers the 225 rep challenge a gold standard so thus it will remain important in it’s own right. Maybe we should start asking people”How many weighted dips and pushups can you do”… Keep it real Underground family..
Zach I agree but at the same time disagree. I agree to the fact that benching isn’t and should’t be the biggest priority in a workout routine but i disagree to the fact that it could really help. I am not the biggest fan of barbell bench press but I think dumbbell bench press can really help. Dumbbell bench press recruits a lot more stabilization muscles in order to control the weight. It also gives for a more free and deeper range of motion than a barbell bench press does. I would like to know if you think dumbbell bench press should be in my workouts, and what you think of it.
Thx
Youssef, thnx brutha.
Coach Reeve uses the bench also, but one that was legit was the one arm db bench
He had a guy hitting the 150 for 10 reps per arm!!!!
I’ve hit 110 at my best for 3 reps
150 x 10 is legit!
I say benching matter. Benching is a total upperbody exsercise,and I have guys at my gym who are 150lbs soking wet,all they do is bench 300,350,to400lbs.Tell them it doesnt matter.I Agree those other exercises will get you jacked, but to say benching dosent matter is bullshit big time.
As I mentioned, if you’re a powerlifter, yes it matters
I am saying for athletes, it’s not a priority
So to call bull shit and get worked up makes me realize you didn’t read carefully…. to me, not rdng carefully is bull shit
Amen to that. Not reading carefully is bullshit. missing the whole point of the article
Zac,
While the bench is one of the core exercises that most of us would have done when we were younger, it is not the be-all-end-all. All too many times we get asked “So what do you bench?” and is this day and age it becomes a really old school question. How many perfect push ups can you do? HOw long can you hold the lowest position of the push up for? Can you do your push ups with your feet on a swiss ball? Can you bench 50kg on a swiss ball in perfect form? Start throwing those around, and some people just don’t know how to reply.
I believe it is still important to learn how to bench properly, to learn how the body works under different load, and to see what works best for YOU, as the athlete. But hey, if you can’t so what?
Strength is just so much more than just bench, deadlift and squat. True strength comes from lifting things that you may come across in a ‘normal life’, like moving a tree off the road, to lifting a child’s pram up and over the kerb…
Keep them coming big guy, and make us think 🙂
I used to wrestle a little, play judo and box. I don’t remember where or what training article I was reading but it said that for those two particular sports, the bench didn’t matter. “After all, why train lifting ON your back if being on your back in those two sports means you’ve basically lost!” Made sense to me. That’s why the power clean and squats, deadlifts and overhead exercises are better. In my opinion.And of course training in the actual sport is great too.
weighted dips and handstand pushups ftw
Zach, I believe you can get effective results for athletes without the bench. I believe in bodyweight programs especially for athletes with injuries. You must stabilize before strength training and there isn’t a better way than body weight exercises in my opinion. We also have to consider muscle imbalances and injuries the athlete has. As you said in your blog your athlete could perform better with the wrist in a neutral position. So for this particular athlete there are specific exercises that might suit him better to get the results he wants.
Ultimately, the athletes health is the priority. I agree with you when you ask the question “does the bench press really matter”, my answer would have to be no it doesn’t.
As far as I’m concerned, there are so many ways to train the chest and shoulders that its not necessary to fixate on the bench press as the primary movement for upper body development.
Zach,
To me, one of the best qualities about your coaching and teaching is your strong emphasis on mental development and programing.
So it strikes me as surprising to see that you devalue the bench press as much as you do.
Increasing a young mans bench will certainly lead to increased self-confidence in his athletic abilities, and his self-esteem outside of the gym.
Brad, thnx, brutha. I remember Dave Tate saying the same thing, that benching will boost confidence.
We have other ways, much better ways, to boost their confidence, and I’ve never seen them get a change of confidence through benching heavier to a point that it was gonna make a big difference…..
We get them stronger in squats, deads, ability to farmer walk heavy implements, training the way we do overall, is what builds their confidence…..
I think peeps see me saying benching doesn’t really matter all that much are now feeling like we never use it
You can see our you tube videos that we DO use it…. thick bar, swiss bar, floor press, with chains, w/bands, heavy…..
But, heavy benching hasn’t been a big factor in our success, that’s for sure
Thnx, Bro!
Bench can be important if all you want is a strong bench. In my years of fire fighting I have never once had to bench anything. Overhead Press, One arm rows, Squats, dead-lifts, lunges, Picking up odd objects (sandbags), Pullups is all very familiar to me at work and life in general. I agree bench has a place. We should focus on important lifts that maximize our time and value. This article will hurt some peoples pride, because as Americans we focus on bench because it looks Macho (and myself included have spent way to much time on a not so important lift for most of us).
Keep em coming Big Z, I to was once in the dark when it came to training! Because of you and your cert class my body composition and strength has changed in 2 months!
In PE&T Charter High School. There was one boy who was in my sophmore year when I was just losing weight and working on my grip strenght.
He was the strongest and the biggest in gym class. His name was John…
I was doing push ups and sit-ups and other gym workouts with ease. None of my classmates could catch up with me.Thanks to my grip strenght. But when it come to being the strongest in school.I was no good.
All my classmate made a big deal about benching but I didn’t understand what was so great about it. In my class John was the only one who could bench the most. While everyone hardly bench over 100lbs. John bench his own body weight!!..
He was benching 235lb. That was around his bodyweight. He was slightly bigger than me and was 16 and I was 15 at the time.
I didn’t understand how he was stronger than me ? I could do more basic workouts and had more grip than he can in the long run..but when it came to benching he literally kills me !
I tried to bench for the first time and I did over 100lbs. My friends were impress and said I should take martials arts. But that didn’t impress John. Nope!
This guy lift me up easy when we wrestle and took seconds to push me out the way in football. And easily beats me in armwerestle.
I wonder to myself how can this guy be so strong when he has a sugar diet and doesn’t even work out? WTF! All he does is talk about skateboarding, lies and lies to his friends about himself and eat cakes/sweets that his friend brings him to school everyday.
I even caught him outside smoking!
Yup…my grip was no good. But those experience literally change the way I think about benching/grip training. To this day I started learning and working on my bench/grip and hope one day I surpass him in these 2 years before i graduate high school. But DAM… did this kid hit puberty or something !?
Never mind.. I found out John was working in construction.
WHICH EXPLAIN WHY HE IS SO STRONG! He said’s he gets paid $100 moving bottles.
Good post, Zach. For any athlete that’s got injuries in the shoulder, elbow, or wrist, the bench press is a pain in the a**. Pushups and one-arm dumbell presses with a neutral grip are way better and safer substitutes.